The Odd Couple - AU S4 Ep 02
by kat-d86
Summary: AU Season 4 Episode 2: Maze takes a break from guarding Lucifer so she can handle a personal mission, something she's been planning for a while. Meanwhile, Dan strives to distract himself with work and make a break on his latest case. AU on how S4 could have gone if we hadn't got picked back up. Episode 1 Lt Decker not essential reading but will explain a few things.
1. Chapter 1

Lux was in full swing even thought it was only mid-afternoon. Maze watched from behind the bar as a slightly dishevelled Lucifer escorted another gaggle of people into his private elevator and the door closed. It was practically an open house up there at the moment. It had been for the last week since Decker had gone to see him alone for the first time since she learned the truth. Maze didn't know for sure what passed between them but afterwards Lucifer hadn't left the penthouse for two days. When he'd finally emerged he had coldly asked "Why aren't you working?" with a curt nod towards the bar before leaving. He'd come back several hours later with half a dozen people who were either swimsuit models or gymnasts, or both, she hadn't been sure, he'd barked a drinks order in her direction then taken his new 'friends' up to the penthouse without another word. Maze had known what he really meant: she was, at least partially, back in his good graces.

She had done as he asked in tracking down the murderer of one of his stalkers, some desperate woman who'd promised to steal something from him in exchange for money then been strangled in the killers attempt to clean up loose ends. They had been able to prove to Decker that he wasn't involved in the woman's death and manipulated a confession that ensured the murderer would be punished for his crimes whilst concealing the fact that he had succeeded in the theft.

Maze had been slightly impressed by the human's plan. To try and get out of owing Lucifer a favour the man had orchestrated to steal the Hell Forged Blade he had used to kill Cain. Rightly assuming that the police reports into the death of one Marcus Peirce was a cover up and the murder weapon could be used as leverage against one Lucifer Morningstar. Such a shame he was unknowingly playing with the _actual_ Devil. Maze's lip twitched at the memory of the look on the man's face when Lucifer had shown him who he was really dealing with. It had been delicious and just like old times.

Then Decker had gone and ruined it with what ever she had said to him. Now he was indulging himself like she hadn't seen in centuries and Maze had no idea how long it was going to last. Linda had been disturbed when Maze had described everything, and everyone, he had been doing. Maze has assured her she would keep him safe and he was just blowing off steam after whatever had happened between him and Chloe. Linda hadn't been overly convinced, suggesting that she should try talking to him or at the least convince him to come back to therapy, so she could help him work through whatever had happened.

Maybe she was right, but Maze knew she had to tread carefully. She had only just managed to claw her way back into Lucifer's life. It hadn't been easy and if she said or did anything to piss him off he could easily throw her back out again, especially in his current mood. So, instead she settled for providing him a steady stream of men, women, drugs, booze and anything else he asked for and made sure to know where Decker was at all times. She didn't want to have to worry about him turning mortal and suddenly overdosing in the middle of a drug fuelled orgy or anything. Beyond that all she could do was wait until he got some of it out of his system and came up for air. Only then would she do as Linda suggested and try to talk to him.

In the mean-time, she had her own things to deal with. Namely the drunk guy hanging onto the end of the bar who kept trying to hit on her. She wasn't interested, he wouldn't leave and previously she would have broken his fingers by now. However, Linda kept insisting violence wasn't the answer. At least not to everything. She had been right that human emotions could make her strong so Maze was curious to see if she could be right about this as well.

She had started off by ignoring him but it seemed like he just assumed she hadn't heard him and shouted louder over the music. When he became more insistent she gave him a blatant 'No, thank you' before smiling and walking away. _That_ had shocked one of the bar tenders so much he had almost dropped a glass. She realised that all of the staff were occasionally casting glances at her with bemused looked on their faces, clearly confused as to why this man was still standing. Maze was wondering that herself but she was determined to see her experiment through. At first it seemed Linda _could _have been right as the man had gone away … at least for a little while. Now he was back and Maze gritted her teeth to stop herself from punching him in the throat.

"I see you're still on your own" He leant over the bar and leered at her as she loaded the latest tray of drinks. She vividly imagined smashing the end off of the beer bottle she was holding, ramming it through his eye and listening to him scream in agony. Instead she carefully placed the bottle on the tray and handed it to the waitress.

"I'm not interested" She said with a glare that had sent dozens of humans running in fear. However it would appear this one was too drunk to hear his base survival instinct screaming at him. As she stepped out from behind the bar he followed her.

"I like a woman who plays hard to get" he slurred in what he probably thought was a seductive tone. '_Cocktail stirrer through the ear directly into the brain. No, too fast, through the throat? Maybe the stomach?'_ She couldn't decide which would be more satisfying. '_Linda would be disappointed'. _She considered how her friend would react to hearing she had skewered a man for trying to flirt with her. She sighed as she realised how upset she would be. She was always so insistent that non-violence could work.

"I said no" She repeated coldly and turned to walk away. He slapped her across the arse. The sound of his hand hitting the back of her leather trousers seemed to reverberate through the corner of the club. Maze froze as ever muscle became ridged with fury. Thousands of years worth of instincts flared up to do battle with more recent, human ideals. The man laughed.

She turned sharply, grabbed the back of his head and slammed it down onto the bar. He instantly went limp and slithered down the bar with a groan. Maze took several deep breaths of release and leant against the counter top at the feeling of elation that ran through her body.

"Oh, that's sooooo much better" She laughed as he finally flopped onto the ground and rolled onto his back. His stupidly drunk face now slack and drooling onto the floor. So maybe violence wasn't the answer every time, but it sure felt good. Maze looked up to see all the staff paying excruciating attention to their current tasks and trying their hardest not to look in her direction. One of them glanced up enough to catch her gaze and she pointed at him. "You! Get this thing out of here" The barman jumped to obey as she walked back to the bar and pulled her jacket out from under the counter.

"If Lucifer comes back down call me. I'm going out" she ordered before turning and stalking towards the exit. She hadn't intended to leave until the morning but if Lucifer was going to spend the whole day upstairs she had time for her own errand. Something she had been pursuing for months. It had taken longer than expected to find a time when her target was going to be easily accessible and she still had a few final preparations to make.

Everyone got out of her way as she left and she smiled at the submission she saw in their eyes. She glanced briefly at the elevator as she got to the top of the stairs. She wasn't concerned about him hurting himself, that was impossible as long as he wasn't mortal and Decker was miles away. Maze had both her blades with her so there was nothing on this plane that could permanently damage him whilst she was out. However, watching over him in his current state was starting to become rather tiresome given that she hadn't yet earned back the right to join in. She'd been so busy catering to his every whim she had barely been able to get laid. She wondered if punching him in the face would snap him out of it faster but she knew he was unlikely to stand still longer enough for her to try. Maybe if she tied him down first? With chains, big chain… chains so heavy even his celestial strength wouldn't be enough to move them no matter how much he pulled against them. The mental image of Lucifer restrained and letting her hit him caused such a wave of titillation that if she were human she would have blushed. Instead she smiled inwardly at the thought and packed it away for later. Maybe if she asked in a couple of centuries and he was in a playful mood she'd get to see what that felt like for real.

In the mean time she shook herself out of her thoughts and headed for the door. The job she had been working on was important, bigger than any of the measly bounties that had been coming her way recently. It had taken weeks of stalking to figure out where her target was going to be, she had had to be so careful to make sure she wasn't detected. Bribes and threats had got her timetables, floor plans and access to the building. All she needed was one last thing and as long as Lucifer stayed where he was she could go and collect it now rather than having to wait until the morning. If she was honest with herself she preferred it this way round, it would give her time to test it out to see if it was good enough for what she had planned. She thought of her targets reaction when they realised all the trouble she'd gone to just for them. She smile, she had someone to see.


	2. Chapter 2

The dry cleaners was a tiny, non-descript unit on the corner of the building. Racks of clothes waiting to be collected filled the windows and a faded sign proclaimed a limited time offer of '2 for 1 on suits'. The date at the bottom of the flyer expired 3 months ago and had never been taken down. The garage next door had loading bays open as cars were lifted up so mechanics could get underneath them. The parking lot in front of the two units was mostly taken up with vehicles waiting to be serviced, leaving no space out front for Maze to park her car. That was deliberate and she approved. If she were going to run a business such as this she wouldn't want strangers getting that close either. She parked down the block and walked back towards the cleaners, scanning the area as she did so.

It wasn't an overly busy area of town, especial as most humans were still at work, so she easily picked out the guy on the bench that never actually got on a bus, the 'mechanic' working on the car out front who wasn't actually fixing anything and the kid on the corner of the parking lot who seemed to be permanently on their phone but kept looking up every few seconds. The look outs and guards noticed her approach but didn't stop her. She had been here before and they knew better than to interfere. She opened the creaking door of the dry cleaners and went in. A jangle rang out from the old school bell attached to the top of the doorframe. The interior was as bland as the exterior. Clothing racks filled three walls and the only hint that this wasn't a normal dry cleaners were the iron bars that protected the counter and whoever was behind in. There was no one else there after a few seconds a man entered from a door behind the protective bars.

"Mazikeen! We weren't expecting you till tomorrow. What a surprise!" He greeted her almost fondly as he came up to the counter. She noticed his hands slip underneath, rather than laying on top, and she straightened slightly.

"Really Syd? Then you need better lookouts. Would you like me to create some openings?" she said with a cold smile and she saw the man's eyes flicker briefly behind her. She knew the guards in the parking lot would be watching through the window and she could smell the gun oil that told her there was a firearm under the counter. It was probably a shotgun, Syd always seemed the unimaginative type who embraced cliché to her. He was also sweating as she continued to smile at him. He gave her a nervous grin in return and carefully brought his hands out from under the counter.

"No need, they're fine. They said it was you, I was just being polite. What can I do for you?" He said in a rush.

"Nothing. I'm here to see Wayland" She strode forward as she spoke and stood expectantly by the iron gate at the end of the counter.

"Um, yer, sure. Come on through" He replied as he hesitantly stepped over and opened it for her. She brushed passed without another word and headed through the back door with Syd trailing after her.

The immediate back of the dry cleaners was exactly what you would expect from the front with industrial sized washing machines and rack upon rack of clothing. It was all crammed into an unexpectedly small space, the unit definitely seem to go back further from the outside. Maze ignored all of it and went straight to the door between two massive dryers. The sign said 'Office. Staff only' which always made her smile. She stepped through and slammed the door in Syd's face before he could follow. The rooms three occupants looked up at the noise. The table they sat around was covered in playing cards, beer cans and cash. The room itself smelt like gasoline and sweat with a battered refrigerator in one corner and a stained sofa in the other. On wall held a work bench covered in partially assembled guns and the sound of power tools could be heard through the next door. Two of the men stood and began to reach for weapons but the third, older man put a restraining hand on one of their arms. The other two froze, clearly confused, but the third only looked at Maze expectantly.

"Wayland?" She asked with a smirk. This one had been here on one of her previous visits but the other two she didn't recognise. It was good that he was teaching the new kids how things should be done.

"In the workshop" He replied with a small nod of his head towards the other door, he was very careful not to make any sudden moves. Maze liked him, he was always respectful and had a good survival instinct. She might even reward him for it at some point, wasn't that what you supposed to do for people who were nice to you? However, he was so old she was pretty sure having sex with her would give him a heart attack. Which, whilst a great way to go, would be inconvenient as he was currently slightly more use to her alive so instead she gave him a genuine smile and made her way through the next door.

It led out into a fully equipped machine shop. Cutters, drills, grinding belts and forges were laid out in an efficient order so someone could move from one to the next without getting in anyone's way. The skylight above illuminated the area evenly with strip lights ready for when the sun went down. The only other exit was a matching door on the opposite side that Maze knew led into the garage next door and was occupied by another trio of, hopefully, slightly less incompetent guards. This was the real business that the two shops were covering up. The whole centre of the building was given over to the weapon factory and if you wanted a special order everyone in the criminal underworld knew this was the best place to go. Whilst their main speciality was guns there was one man they kept on staff who was capable of the extra ordinary.

Wayland was six feet tall, nearly as wide, and Maze knew every inch of it was pure muscle. She spotted him bent over an anvil and took a moment to appreciate the sheer power of his arm as he hammered. His mass of unruly ginger hair was mostly held out of the way by a bandana and his long beard had been tucked into the front of his leather apron to protect it from the red hot metal. She could see the beginnings of a knife in the bar of metal he was working on. The tip and curve of the belly being drawn out by the sheer might of his forging. He was an artist of weaponry and if he got her order right Maze fully intended to reward him for it in a way that certainly would give the old timer outside that heart attack. She waited until he put the half formed knife back in the forge to re-heat before approaching.

"Mazikeen, I wasn't expecting you till tomorrow" He said as he used his tongs to rotate the metal inside the burning forge.

"I know. But you said it would be ready today"

"Yes, about that…" Despite his prowess he seemed nervous

"What?" She tone was clipped and sharp

"Well….I've hit a bit of a snag"

"You said you could do it"

"And I have, the main work is done but the extras you wanted…."

"What about them?"

"My supplier got arrested. It's going to be at least a week before I can source more" He finally admitted. Every muscle tensed as Maze moved closer.

"Wayland, I have a very tight window of opportunity. I _need_ this for tomorrow. Like you promised" She spoke slowly and quietly, her voice full of menace. "If I miss this I won't get another chance…and neither will you" Weyland held up his hands

"Wow, Trent said he had them" he said defensively.

"Who?"

"My supplier, Trent Matthews. He'd got them into the country and I was just waiting on delivery when the police grabbed him"

"So now the police have it?" Maze asked

"I don't know, only Trent could tell you that"

"So, if I can get him to tell me where he stashed his goods you can still finish on time"

"Yes, but they're not letting anyone in to see him"

"We'll see about that" She hissed before turning and stalking away. She pulled out her phone and began to skim through her contacts. First step, find out in which precinct this 'Trent' was being held. Second step, if she was lucky there would be someone there she could lean on to arrange a little chat.


	3. Chapter 3

Dan sat at his desk and glanced around him. The police station was a gentle hum of activity. Detectives sat at their desks as they went through files and officers walked through to drop off reports or hand in evidence. As he looked around he was still slightly surprised when no-one glared as they met his eye. He hadn't _officially_ been promoted but ever since he'd had a hand in taking out Peirce the rest of the station had been treating him slightly less like their personal errand boy. He was still the department bottom but it seemed that uncovering the corrupt cop who'd murdered one of their best District Attorneys had wiped his slate clean of his own misdemeanours. He still got a few hostile looks from some he suspected had less than upstanding morals but at least in the eyes of the majority of his fellow officers he had redeemed himself. He wished he could share the sentiment.

They couldn't forgive him if they didn't know about everything he had done and he had done so many more things than they knew about. Yet he couldn't tell them because despite how much he wanted to redeem himself he liked that fact that they were no longer treating him like dirt. Yet, paradoxically, he didn't feel like he was worthy of a second chance. Or a third, or maybe fourth. He wasn't sure what he was up to by now. He kept trying but he didn't know if it would ever be enough. He wished he could talk to Charlotte. She'd been struggling with so many of her own demons as she tried to turn her life around and wipe her own slate clean. She would have understood and just being with her would have helped him feel better. He would have felt like it was something he could deal with rather than this insurmountable problem that he had to stare at every day. Instead he was never going to see her again and just thinking about her hurt. That was the down side of not constantly being busy. He had time to think.

He looked over to the Lt office and saw Chloe through the window. She had her head down as she sat at her desk. She seemed better, less absorbing in her work and more able to focus on other things. Since she had finally spoken to Lucifer rather than avoiding him, she had obviously managed to get what ever was eating at her out of her system. He just hoped they managed to fully clear the air before they broke up. Not that they were ever together, at least not in that way…..he didn't think. Whatever. The point was, killing someone together was a big deal. Even if the bastard deserved it there's an emotional weight to taking a life, he knew it all too well. He dwelt on the past as he turned back to his desk. If there were two of you then maybe you could share that pain, bear it together to ease the burden on your soul.

"Hi Dan" He tensed at the sudden appearance of the leather clad woman by his desk. Seriously, he didn't know how she did it. One moment he was alone and the next she was practically breathing down his neck.

"Afternoon, Maze" He managed to sound almost board but he knew she had seen him jump when she announced herself. It was evident in the predatory glee he saw in her eyes as she looked him over. Like she was filing away the information to use against him at a later date. He moved his hand at the same time he rotated his chair to face her. When he came to a stop his hand was resting on his gun and for all the world looked like it had been there since the moment she'd appeared at his desk. Her scarred eyebrow went up in interest at his apparent instinct and she gave a crooked smile of appreciation.

"What do you want, Maze?" he asked more forcefully and only when she gave a resigned huff did he take his hand off his gun.

"You're holding a guy names Trent Matthews. I need to talk to him"

"Guy brought in the other day suspected of smuggling for the mob? So?"

"So…. go get him" She demanded.

"That's not how it works" He pointed out

"Oh, I think it is" She replied as she lent down and pushed into his personal space. "I think that's exactly how this works" She strummed. Part of him knew exactly shat she was hinting at. The memory of what they had done to Perry Smith replayed itself in his head. It seemed that killing together didn't always share the burden. Sometimes it became a dead weight the other person hung around your neck. She had dirt on him that could put him away for life. Letting her talk to some suspected smuggler in lock up would be a small price to pay to keep that quiet. Yet, another much louder part of him was tired of being pushed around and trying to cover for his own mistakes. That part of him dug it's heels in and he found himself standing up. He pushed into _her_ personal space until their faces were inches apart.

"Then you'd be wrong" He said firmly.

"You know what'll happen if you don't" She warned

"The same thing that'll happen to you if you do" he countered, and she leant back.

"Nice move" she said in mild surprise before flopping down into the chair next to his desk. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to drop you in it anyway" she added at Dan's expression. Although it was her sudden change of demeanour that was confusing him, rather than her not so veiled threat. But he reminded himself to stay on his toes. This was Maze, there was always a twisted personal reason behind everything she did, even if it was because she just liked to hit things.

"Really? How generous of you" He managed but the sarcasm was clearly wasted on her as she picked up a random file from his desk and started to skim through it.

"Sure, why burn a perfectly good asset over something minor. So, what'll it take to get you to help me?" She asked instead. Dan couldn't help but note she didn't apologise for threatening to expose him, nor did she completely rule out doing so for real in the future. She was also acting like she hadn't broken his daughters heart and that still irritated him.

Maze had a pretty simple world view, he'd found. If there was something in the way of what she wanted she removed it, often violently, as efficiently as possible. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to shop him in, he knew her well enough not to call that bluff, she was just willing to try a different approach when Dan actually stood his ground for once. That told him this, whatever it was, was important to her and, given she'd been willing to switch tactics so quickly, likely time sensitive. That didn't sound like the 'something minor' she was trying to make it out to be.

"Why do you need to talk to him?" he asked as he sat back in his chair.

"None of your business" she answered curtly.

"It is if you want my help" he pointed out and she eyed him carefully.

"So, I tell you and you'll let me talk to him?" she asked.

"Maybe" he replied and she narrowed her eyes

"He has something I need. Bought and paid for but not delivered. I need him to tell me where he stashed it before your goodie too shoes cops picked him up"

"Maze, he's not going to admit to handling stolen goods in the middle of a police station" Dan pointed out to which she gave a feral grin.

"He will to me" she preened and he immediately held out his finger towards her.

"No torture" he barked, a little too loud and a few of the officers walking by glanced in their direction.

"I promise not to leave any lasting damage" She said in an over the top pleading voice.

"No" he insisted "NO, you're not touching him"

"And what if I can get him to talk without touching him?" she asked sweetly and Dan dropped his hand.

"You can do that?" he was genuinely surprised

"Oh yer" She leant forward so her already low cut top dipped even further. "You'd be surprised the things you can get people to do without laying a finger on them" Dan sat back further in his chair and looked around to see if anyone else was watching the exchange.

"Ok, fine. If you can get him to admit to handling stolen goods then you can talk to him but I'm going to be in the room the whole time"

"Kinky" she said with a grin to which he frowned.

"If at any point you take things too far the interview ends" he clarified and she shrugged

"Fine" She replied with a self-satisfied smile as he picked up the phone. As he dialled the extension for Holding he tried to think why he was doing this. He didn't owe Maze anything. Hell, after how she'd upset Trixie he'd be well within his rights to never speak to her again. But Trent Matthews was an important link in the chain for the guys over in Organised Crime. If they could get him to incriminate himself they could use it as leverage to get him to flip on his bosses. That alone would make this worth it. 'A means to an end' he though as he hit the last number and let the call go through.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, that was a complete waste of time!" Maze exclaimed a few hours later as she staked out of the interrogation room and threw herself down into Dan's chair.

"What makes you say that?" Dan asked hotly as he followed her back to his desk.

"He wouldn't tell us anything useful. You should have let me hit him" She complained.

"He told us plenty" he said before waving his hand to indicate she should get out of his chair.

"No, he didn't" She stated flatly and didn't move. He gave a long huff before taking her shoulder and bodily lifting her out of his seat. He ignored the daggered look she gave him and sat down at his desk.

"He said if we get his assistance to come post his bail he'll tell you where your 'delivery' is. That means he definitely has it somewhere. All we have to do it find the Intern and bring him in. Then Matthews tells you where your stuff is and we can _formally_ charge him for handling stolen goods.

"You're not getting my stuff in some poxy police raid" Maze pointed out venomously as Dan typed the assistances details into his computer.

"Fine, in exchange for helping me track this kid down you can take out whatever it is you're after and we'll use whatever's left as evidence against him. Deal?" He glanced up at her and saw an unfamiliar look on her face. Was she surprised that he was suggesting bending the rules? He couldn't see why, he'd done much worse and she knew it as evident in her earlier threat. The closest he'd seen to the look she was currently giving him was when she'd told him she was impressed that he'd gone through with handing Perry over to the Russians. He found he wasn't happy that she was pleased at his suggestion.

"Deal" she said with a smirk. Dan instantly realised he also wasn't overly keen on doing something that Maze seemed this eager to accomplish but it was too late now. If he backed out of the deal that _he_ had just suggested he suspected she would retaliate purely out of spite. Besides, if they could get the leverage they needed to lean on Matthews it would all be worth it.

"Deal" he confirmed before turning back to his computer.

"What are you doing?" she asked

"Checking to see if the kid has a record"

"Why?"

"So we have an idea where to start looking" he explained patiently and she scoffed.

"That'll take too long. Let's just hit up some of my contacts and I'll find the guy much faster" Dan noticed the emphasis she put on the word 'hit' even if she didn't do it deliberately.

"We're not going to hurt anyone Maze. We just need to find the guy and convince him to come bail out his boss."

"That will take too long" She stated just as Dan's computer pinged.

"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically as he opened the search results to display a mug shot of a young man, Josh Brecken, who matched the information Matthews has given them. Dan copied down the last known address into his pad and stood up.

"My way would be more fun" Maze pointed out before turning sharply and stalking up the stairs.

"I'll bet" Dan glanced over his shoulder and saw Chloe through the window of her office. Her head still down and hard at work. He was glad that she'd managed to get a handle on things in time for their family day with Trixie tomorrow. He should probably tell her what he was doing, she was his Lieutenant after all. Yet, he didn't want to be the one to tell her he was chasing a lead with Lucifer's Ninja Bartender. What was that old saying? _'tis better to ask forgiveness than permission'_. These day when it came to Chloe and anything even vaguely Lucifer related that was definitely the safer option. He would tell her once they were done. That way he'd have something positive to gloss over the fact he was bending the rules, again. That would be better. After all it was for the greater good, right?

He grabbed his coat and headed after Maze.


	5. Chapter 5

Irritatingly, yet unsurprisingly, the address had been a bust. Turns out Josh had moved out a few months ago and, _shockingly_ for someone with a police record, had left no forwarding address. Maze had looked slightly smug before declaring 'I'll take it from here' and knocking on the neighbours door before Dan could stop her.

After two apartments, three bars and a convenience store he had a much better understanding of what she'd meant when she said 'her way'. He'd spent the last couple of hours kerbing her enthusiasm as she ploughed through the neighbourhood demanding information on where the guy had moved to. Luckily it was the types of area where folks didn't immediately call the cops when an angry bounty hunter stormed in and Dan flashing his badge had been enough to placate them so far. He tried not to think about how much trouble he'd be in if word got back to Chloe of his afternoons activities. Just getting out of the Precinct dog house only for her to have to throw him back in would not be fun. However, Maze's methods did generate results as they eventually given an address just a few blocks away.

The apartment building was run down but that only meant it blended in with the rest of its surroundings. As Dan reached out to ring the bell Maze's foot connected with the lock. Dan jumped back as the door flew open under her assault.

"Wow! Ok, Maze, STOP!" He demanded. She glanced dismissively over her shoulder as she entered the building. He followed her in and took hold of her arm. "Enough" he said and pulled her to a stop. Or tried to, she was disturbingly strong and pulled him along for a step or two before practically growling and turning towards him. She looked down at where he held her before slowly raising her head and locking eyes with him.

"Let. Go." She bit out the words, her anger evident in her glare. Rather than scare him off it made him even more determined to gain the upper hand. Even with everything he suspected Maze was involved with, drugs, sex and God only knows how much violence, he'd never seen her this driven to find something. He recalled how she's looked the first time he'd seen her after Pierces death; battered, bruised and standing protectively close to Linda. She had had the same look of determination in her eyes then and she did now. Like she would kill anyone who tried to get passed her. He let go of her arm.

"If you want my help you need to explain what this is all about or I won't let you back on to see Matthews" Dan stated. She glared at him for a moment but he held her eyebefore sighing in an overly dramatic fashion.

"I have a special target I need to get to by tomorrow. I need what Matthews promised my or I'll miss my window"

"And that's it? All this for a measly bounty?" He didn't believe her.

"It's not measly" she snapped "An it's not for money"

"Then what's all _this_ for?" he pushed and she scoffed.

"You wouldn't understand" she said dismissively and turned back towards the stairs.

"How do you expect _anyone_ to understand when you don't tell them anything?" He complained and she smirked over her shoulder but it seemed forced.

"Maybe I like it that way. Now, move it or loose it" She said before taking the stairs two at a time and disappearing around the corner. He had a sudden shot of fear that the 'it' she was referring to was the guy they were looking for and he swore under his breath before bolting after her. He arrived on the fourth floor landing breathing hard and was met by Maze who was leaning against the wall with an irritatingly smug grin on her face.

"That's the spirit" she said with excessive cheer as he got his breath back.

"I hate you" he managed between gulps but there wasn't much real heat in it. Maze only grinned at his discomfort and turned down the corridor, looking at the apartment numbers. When she found the one they were after she leant back and shifted her weight onto her back foot.

"Wait!" Dan called before she could kick down this door as well. He was slightly surprised when she actually stopped but he recovered quickly before she could change her mind. "You've already terrorized half the neighbourhood. If we want this guy to help us you can't just kick down his door. What was your plan? To drag him all the way to the station and force him to bail out Matthews?"

"No" She said quickly, a little too quickly and he gave her a doubtful look. "I wouldn't have to drag him the _whole_ way. That's what cars are for" She added, and he let out an exasperated breath.

"There's an easier and _quicker_ way to do this" he said, and he stepped around her. "Just follow my lead" he added as he knocked on the door. She remained where she was for a moment until he paused and looked back.

"Fine" she gave an over exaggerated huff and moved back into a neutral stance.

Dan tried to gauge if she had truly stood down before realising it was pointless, she always looked on the verge of violence. He knocked again. When there was no immediate answer he knocked a third time, harder.

"Josh? Open up, Matthews sent us!" He called through the door. Maze tilted her head and her eyebrow went up at the deception. There was the sound of movement within the apartment quickly followed by the door opening a crack.

The face that was presented to them looked barely out of his teens, five foot eight, black, with a rounded chin. If it wasn't for his file confirming he was in his late twenties you could be forgiven for thinking you were talking to a high schooler.

"Who are you?" he asked, full of suspicion.

"I'm Dan, this is Maze" He waved his hand to indicate his temporary partner without breaking eye contact with the guy it had taken so long for them to find. "Matthews said you were the guy to see to fix the mess he's in?"

"He said that?" Josh seemed uncertain but he did open the door a little more till the safety chain was pulled tight next to his face.

"Sure, said you were the only one who could help him out" Dan continued with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "Can we come in?"

The kid looked up and down the corridor as much as he could through the restricted door. Seeing no one else he inspected both Dan and Maze again before making his decision. The door closed and there was the rattle of a chain being unclipped.

"Nice one" Maze praised him as she shifted back into a fighting stance but Dan held up a hand.

"We don't have to hurt him, Maze. We just need to get him back to the precinct to bail out his boss"

"I know the plan" She replied scornfully but Dan shook his head

"_Willingly_" He pointed out with a glare as the door opened on a nervous looking Josh. He really hoped he hadn't heard any of their exchange as he plastered a smile back across his face. "Thanks, man" He spared a final warning glare to Maze before the two of them entered the apartment and the door closed behind them.


	6. Chapter 6

Maze counted two possible exits the runt could run to other than the door she and Dan were now covering as they entered the apartment. The window directly opposite was open and led onto a fire escape. A door to their left led to a bedroom and was also ajar. It wasn't clear if there was another way out through there so Maze included it just in case. Dan's deception had got them inside with minimal fuss, away from any nosey neighbours who might try to intervene or call the cops. Sure, her way in would have been faster but it also would have put them on a ticking clock. This way they could take their time to bend the kid to their will and get what they needed. Once again she found herself mildly impressed by his choices. '_Maybe there was something to this 'non-violence' thing after all'_. She folded her arms as she watched the kid shift nervously, content for the moment to let Dan continue doing all the work.

"So...how does Mr Matthews think I can help him?" Josh asked, his eyes flitting between the two of them.

"He told us that you have access to his accounts. That you can get the money for his bail" Dan stated plainly.

"He...he said that?" Josh looked them over again. Maze moved slightly to one side so she was between the kid and the bedroom door.

"Sure, yours was the only name he gave when we asked who could help him" Dan continued to lay it on thick as Maze gauged the distance between Josh and the window. _Pretty easy. Should be able to grab him before he got even one leg over the sill. _

"It was?" Josh seemed surprised that his boss through so highly of him. Having spent millennia cleaning up after Lucifer without a single thank you she could understand the sentiment. As soon as she thought of his name her phone buzzed quickly followed by the most annoying ringtone she'd been able to find. Both Dan and Josh turned to look at her with grimaces. The kid looked confused but Dan glared.

"What?" she snapped back before pulling out the device to look at the screen. LUX. "I need to take this" She stated before striding into the bedroom and kicking the door shut behind her. No other exit in here. Good. Dan just had to keep the kid occupied till she dealt with this. She answered the call.

"What?!" She listened to the slightly distraught voice on the other end for several seconds before interrupting them "Well if he's run out just get him some more" She said but the person on the other end didn't seem to understand. "Of course it's illegal, why do you think he wants it?" She pointed out like she was talking to a child. "No, not from behind the bar. That stuff is so impure you could bake a cake with it. Try the safe in the office, there should be a spare bag in the false bottom." Scratch that, a child would have understood exactly what she was telling them without asking so many dumb questions. "Then find somebody who DOES know the combination!" she growled before cutting them off. _Honestly, some people were just so stupid. _

A shout from the other room brought her back to her current predicament. She opened the door to find Josh backing away from Dan with his arms raised, one hand pointing in disbelief at the badge attached to his belt that had mostly been covered by his jacket until now.

"You're cops? You can't be here. You don't have a warrant!" He was frantic as Dan raised his own hands.

"It's ok, we're not here to bust you. Like I said, Matthews sent us" He tried to placate him whilst sticking to his story, but Maze could tell the kid was on the verge of genuine panic.

"But…you're COPS!" Josh couldn't seem to get over that fact, his eyes constantly flickering to the badge and gun at Dan's waist. Maze wasn't surprised, in her experience a young black man with a record had every right to be afraid of the police.

"Doesn't mean we don't work for Matthews" She interjected and couldn't help but grin when both of them turned to stare at her again.

"You WORK for him?" Josh seemed extremely confused and Dan was shifting uncomfortably. She wasn't sure why, after all, she was just following his lead. The kid looked at him as if expecting an answer and for a moment Maze worried that his brain had broken when he didn't reply straight away. She eyed Dan and prompted him by raising her eyebrows.

"Sure, you know the types of people he's involved with. They have a lot of pull" He said eventually and she smiled as the kid seemed to relax slightly.

"Now, how long do you need to get the money?" she demanded.

"Um, well about that….." He was back to shifting nervously and Maze narrowed her eyes.

"Spit it out" she growled and Josh jumped slightly at her tone.

"I don't have it" He admitted and she felt her anger rise.

"What do you mean, you 'don't have it?' " She growled as she moved towards him. Dan quickly stepped in front of her before she could reach Josh. He laid a strong hand, for a human, on her shoulder with a forced smile.

"My way" he mouthed quickly before turning to face the kid. "Where is it?" he asked as he stepped to the side so as not to be leaning over him. Maze noticed how the action also put him between Josh and the fire escape whilst she remained between him and the other exits. _Smoothly done._ She reluctantly praised the manoeuvre before turning her predatory glare back towards Josh.

Josh looked between them briefly before deflating in submission.

"I…put it on a bet" he said, staring at the floor.

"You what!" Both she and Dan exclaimed and Josh flinched at their combined shout.

"Mr Matthews said we didn't have any more orders till the end of the month and there's this game next week my cousin said was a sure thing and once I got my winnings I was gonna put the money straight back and no one would know it was ever gone but then the police raided the office when I was out for lunch and Mr Matthews got arrested and now I don't know what to do because if anyone finds out I'm dead!" He spoke in such a rush that Maze was surprised he didn't pass out. As he finished his desperate rambling he was shaking and gulping down breaths. She and Dan shared a look over his head and she shrugged. He'd wanted to take the lead, he could figure out what their next move was. Dan sighed before turning his attention back to Josh.

"This game you bet on, if it's not till next week why don't you just cancel and get the money back?" Dan asked much more gently than she would have done.

"I tried! She won't give it back"

" 'She' who?" Maze demanded and Josh turned his attention towards her.

"Annie Maclaren" He admitted

"I've heard of her, she runs a gambling den on the other side of town" Dan interjected and Josh nodded, "However, last I heard she lets people cancel if they get cold feet"

"Doesn't sound like a good way to make money" Maze scoffed

"She takes a percentage as compensation if you pull out early" Dan explained and Maze raised her eyebrow at his choice of words. He seemed to realise almost immediately and scowled before turning his attention back to Josh "So, what? You couldn't afford the fee?"

"No, I could. There's enough on the bet to cover it and still make the bail but she still wouldn't give it back" he said

"So that's it? The only thing stopping you bailing out your Boss is this woman won't give you the money back?" Maze was less than impressed.

"Well...yer" The kid admitted with a confused expression

"Easily fixed. We'll just go get it" Maze announced

"We will?" Das asked as he screwed his face up in that funny way Maze had figured out meant he was thinking. She tilted her head at him and glared. "Yes, we will"

Maze gave a huff of approval before slapping Josh on the back.

"We'll be back before you know it" She said cheerfully as she strode to the door with an irate Dan hurrying after. As the door swung shut behind them Josh was left standing in the middle of his now empty living room.

"I'll, um, just wait here then"


	7. Chapter 7

Back on the street, they got into Dan's car but he didn't start the engine. Instead he turned to Maze.

"Ok, what the hell was that!?" he demanded.

"What?" She seemed genuinely baffled by his question.

"I try to convince the kid to help and you tell him we're dirty cops?"

"You mean the 'kid' who knowingly works for a smuggler" She pointed out and Dan shook his head.

"That's not the point, Maze"

"Why are you so angry, I was just following your lead" She said with a shrug.

"Oh really, what part of 'my lead' said you should claim we work for the Mob"

"The bit where you said Matthews sent us. A mid level guy like him wouldn't have any pull with a full detective, even one like you." She eyed him and Dan twitched but didn't interrupt, "The green light would have to come from further up the chain"

"An if word gets out that I've been walking around claiming to work for a criminal organisation?" She didn't seem to understand how serious it was to throw around those types of accusations.

"Well, that's not my problem"

"Yes it is your problem" Dan insisted before rubbing his hand over his face. "Look, Maze, you can't keep ruining people's lives to get what you want. If you keep that up eventually you'll end up alone."

"That's not what I'm doing" She insisted and he looked at her in disbelief

"Right, so threatening to expose me over Perry and painting me as in the Mobs pocket is your way of asking _nicely_ for my help?"

"What, it's not like a hit you" She stated plainly

"That's not the...that's not how people do things" he looked at her and could tell from her expression that she didn't understand. "It's not how _normal_ people do things" He clarified.

"Do I look 'normal' to you?" She asked with a smirk and Dan found himself giving a tight smile in return.

"No, _definitely_ not" He replied "But you don't have to threaten Maze. If you need help, I mean _genuine _help, you can always ask first"

"I did" she said, to which he tilted his head and frowned. "Ok, so maybe I didn't ask as 'nicely' as some boring _people_ might but...I don't know how to do that" She admitted.

Some of Dan's anger dissipated at her tone. It had seemed, almost, genuine. Has she seriously never had to ask for help without threatening someone first? He quickly ran some of their more memorable interactions through his mind. When he's approached her about taking care of Perry she had been eager but that had been him asking her for help. In Canada, when they had gone after Rivers, she had accepted his assistance but hadn't _technically_ asked for it. Every event he could think of she had either demanded or assumed his involvement. She had never simply _asked_, at least not in a way he felt he or anyone else would want to say no. Despite everything it made he feel a little sad for her but he knew better than to show it.

"Well, maybe next time you can try" He said as he started the engine.

"Maybe" She said quietly before leaning back and putting her feet up on the dash. "So, were to now?" She asked

"We're going to talk to Annie Maclaren" He said as he put on his seat belt.

"Why?" The derogatory tone was back in her voice and he tried to stop his annoyance from rising again.

"So we can get her to give the money back"

"No, I mean why bother. We can get the money from anywhere, it doesn't have to be from her" She said and it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Yes it does, Maze"

"WHY?"

"Because you told him we worked for the mob." He took a breath as he tried to explain "We told Josh we'd get the money from Annie. If we don't and then turn up with that much cash that magically appeared out of nowhere people will talk. When word gets out, because it will after you ploughed through half the neighbourhood like a wrecking ball, either Matthews will smell the set up or his bosses will figure out we're trying to get him to flip and skip town. The only way to stop that from happening is if we can prove we got the money from somewhere that makes sense like..." He held out his hand to invite her to finish the sentence.

"The bookie" she said reluctantly with a frown. She folded her arms at his logic and Dan knew better than to point out that she was sulking at him being right. However, he did allow himself a small smile as he pulled out and headed towards the last known business address of one Annie Maclaren.


	8. Chapter 8

Dalton's Place was a notoriously rough bar. Country music, hard liquor and copious amounts of pool cues seemed to combine to cause no end of trouble. As a result the place was on the LAPD short list of places to watch. If a call came in about a fight there was always an immediate response to stop it getting out of hand. Dan hoped that wouldn't be necessary. He wasn't fond of the place, he had nothing against country music but as a rookie he'd been called in to break up more than a few brawls after rival musicians had played or football celebrations had gotten out of hand. He knew it well and also knew that Annie Maclaren wasn't the only quite criminal to use it as an impromptu office space. There were more than a few fences and grifters who called it home as well.

However, they weren't there for any of them so he went straight to the bar and asked for Annie about a 'business matter'. Beside him Maze surveyed the room as they waited. Dan watched her as she eyed up a large guy leaning on the juke box.

"Thinking about stabbing him?" he asked as her attention lingered in the guys muscles

"Not exclusively" she replied in a breathy tone and Dan snapped his head around

"Maze!" he had been joking but it seemed she might actually be considering it

"What? It's been a while and he's big…..strong" her eyes went almost wistful as she tilted her head to get a better look. The man noticed her attention and checked her out in return. From the smile he gave he obviously liked what he saw.

"Unbelievable" Dan muttered and she looked at him with an amused frown.

"Lighten up Dan, it's just sex. Unless you want him for yourself?" She asked casually, as if she were offering him the last cookie on the plate.

"What? No!" he scoffed and she shrugged.

"More for me then" She said with a predatory smile. Across the bar the man she was admiring elbowed his equally heavy set friend and pointed in her direction. "Oh, much more" She purred and Dan rolled his eyes. Was this what it had been like for Chloe every time Lucifer saw someone he fancied? No wonder she had been so annoyed with him so often, it must have been like working with a horny teenager.

"Annie's free now" The bar tender came back and pointed towards a side door, "She says you can go through" Maze's focus snapped back to the task at hand and she stood to attention. All the feral energy she had been directing at the two men zeroed in on the doorway and Dan had a brief flash back to a bar stool being thrown at his head. The last thing he wanted was for Maze to start a bar fight and get half the LAPD called in. Not only would Annie slip away they would have to explain what they were doing here in the first place. He quickly moved in front of her as she stepped towards the door.

"You know, there's no need for both of us to talk to her. I got this" he offered with what he hoped she'd interpret at a disarming smile. It was hard to tell with Maze

"You sure?" His eyes scanned the room behind her and noted every heavy set patron and potential weapon that could come at them if she threatened Annie the way she had Josh.

"Definitely, I only need to convince her to hand the money over. Why don't I talk to her whilst you…" he nodded towards the guys she'd been inspecting "go make some new friends. Just, don't break them….too much" He added the last in response to her smirk.

"Make sure it's not a long talk, I'm still on a tight schedule" She said but he could tell that her focus was already shifting to the pair across the saloon. It wasn't normally this easy to distract her and he wondered how long 'a while' had actually been. There were times he felt she was even more obsessed with sex than Lucifer and he wondered what could have made her abstain enough that even he could divert her attention by pointing out some hot guys. Just another question to the enigma that was Mazikeen Smith he thought as she strode across the bar. He let out a mixed breath of relief that he would be able to talk to Maclaren alone and pity for the two guys he'd just unleashed Maze onto. '_A means to an end'_ he reminded himself before ducking through the side door.

Annie Maclaren wasn't what most people expected when you told them you where to find a Bookie. She was a rather portly woman of indeterminate age somewhere between fifty-five and seventy. Her fashion sense was a mash up of decades, most notably a dark sports blazer with large shoulder pads that belonged in the 80s, faded ginger hair that was so expertly curled it would make a 40s pin up girl jealous and bright red lip stick. She looked more like your eccentric grandmother than a criminal…._alleged_ criminal, Dan corrected himself. Annie was well known to the police but was always extremely careful. Officially she was the owner of a 'small term investment company' not a Bookie, the first being a shady yet legal way to take money and 'invest' on sports events on other people's behalf whereas the second was explicitly against Californian Law. Dan didn't know the legal details but he knew the DAs office had been tearing their hair out trying to get something to stick for decades, so far without success. She knew how to play the game and his badge wouldn't help him get what they needed.

"Ah, Detective, come in, come in. Always nice to see one of the boys in blue. How can I help you?" She greeted him with a toothy grin and waved to the chair across from her little desk.

"I'm here about Josh Brecken" He said as he sat down.

"Who?" She asked, her face the picture of innocence and Dan smiled back as he lent back in the chair.

"Annie, I'm not here on any official business. I know Josh came to you recently to cancel an 'investment' an was more than willing to pay your fee. Why didn't you give him his money back? Doesn't look good for your reputation to refuse someone like that" He added a furrowed brow and frown to push home his point. Annie narrowed her eyes.

"So the kid's got a cop to act as muscle has he?" She asked, showing less of the grandmother and more of the shrewd businesswoman. Dan shook his head.

"I just need the money so he can bail out his boss" He said. Sometimes the best lie was the truth. He'd seen Lucifer do it thousands of times, if you didn't elaborate then it encouraged people to form their own conclusion which they were more likely to believe because they came up with it themselves. The groundwork had already been laid for them being in the mobs pocket. He hated it, but if it got the job done before Maze got board and started punching things he'd use it.

"Yer, I heard Matthews got pinched. Didn't expect one of you guys to be trying to get him out though. His bosses must be really worried he'll squeal if they're going to all this trouble" She looked him up and down, as if she weighing her options, and Dan tried not to twitch at the information she's just let slip. If it had been a slip, it was possible she'd said that on purpose to deflect his attention away from her. Or maybe she was testing him to see if he was really working for the mob by pretending to know things? Either way he held himself still an only smiled in response. She narrowed her eyes briefly before smiling back, her grandmother persona slipping back into place.

"Well, I'd love to help you Detective but I'm afraid I'm all out of cash"

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I'm afraid one of my clients had a VERY successful investment come through and I had to use all my current funds to cover the payment. The client was _rather _adamant he receive his investment immediately, I'm afraid Josh wasn't the only customer I've had to disappoint as a result." There was a twitch in the corner of her eye as she finished. Dan knew Annie had survived this long in the LA underworld predominantly because she had a solid reputation. He wondered how far she would go to protect that?

"This client, they clearly don't appreciate how difficult it is to run a business. Maybe I could talk to them? Get them to be…charitable" He tried to say the word the way he imagined Maze would pronounce it, dripping with distant. The smile Annie gave him was less than pleasant and he was suddenly even more glad he'd left Maze outside. This woman had a core made of ice and it would have been a coin flip whether the tow of them started to fight or make out. Would this be how Maze turned out when she got old?

"I'm sorry Detective but I'm afraid I couldn't possible ask you to intervene with Mr Simon Fischer." She said sweetly and Dan was pulled out of his thoughts by the name. With major players like the Sinnerman and Bianca Ruiz being taken down in such quick succession it was no surprise that some smaller time criminals had tried for a power grab but he had really hoped that Fischer wasn't among them. He had been a thorn in the LAPDs side for years. He liked to think himself a gentleman criminal but the truth was he had a vicious streak that always prevented him from reaching the big leagues. He took even the smallest slight to extreme level of retaliation and most of the established crime syndicates and families would have little to nothing to do with him. Fisher took that _extremely _personally, to him it was the equivalent of the self-made millionaire being refused entry at the country club by old money. He didn't really need their approval but he _wanted _it, the validation from the criminal elite that he was one of them. That drive to 'impress' drove him further down the rabbit hole of violence than most.

"Fischer isn't the type of person I'd expect a smart woman like you to get involved with" he managed as he tried not to think about the reports that had crossed his desk about Fischer's activities. The last time the LAPD had tried to get someone on the inside the undercover cop had been found beaten so badly he'd lost an eye. He hadn't even got close and there was never any solid evidence as to who had assaulted him. Dan had known the guy back at the academy, he remembered him as an outgoing, fun guy who was great at accents. He rode a desk now and flinched if people came up behind him unexpectedly.

"Maybe not, but he's also not the kind of man you say no to. There's been a lot of changes on the field recently. A girls gotta play it smart if she wants to see the end game" Annie admitted with a shrewd look. "However…"

"Yes?" Dan didn't really like her drawn out tone or the way she lent back in her chair.

"He did insist on a down payment on his next investment to go along with his other 'successes'. I normally wouldn't mine for such a _valuable _customer but the investment in question is very shaky and I doubt it will turn out how he expects. I don't expect him to pay me back if he loses" The last came out extremely bitter and perilously close to admitting what she really did for a living. Dan let it slide. Sure, she was a criminal but she had a code and she stuck to it. Fischer, on the other hand, was a no holds barred sociopath who ran protection rackets, people smuggling and seemed to take a perverse glee in making people suffer.

"And if Fischer could be persuaded to return the fund for safe keeping?" Dan asked, barely restraining himself from adding air quotes around the last bit.

"Why, then I would be more than happy to refund the boys investment. Minus the fee, of course" Annie smiled sweetly.

"Of course" Dan tried not to grimace at the idea of facing down Fischer but Annie didn't seem concerned that she was asking he poke the bear on her behalf. "Wouldn't that just piss Fischer off? He'll know it was you"

"Oh, _definitely_. However Mr Fischer has a lot of business concerns at the moment. He is taking extra care with his reputation, trying to appeal to more _established_ entrepreneur who I have a _very_ firm arrangement with. If he were to 'disagree' over such a reasonable request it would greatly hinder his expansion plans" Annie's grandmother mask never slipped as she cheerfully explained her mob backed insurance policy without ever actually admitting anything criminal in the slightest. It was the type of blatant skirting of the law that made Dan's eye twitch. '_A means to an end´ _he reminded himself and he sighed.

"I'll see what I can do" He said as he stood.

"Why thank you, detective, that's very kind of you" Annie continued to smile sweetly but all Dan could manage was a tight grin as he left. He'd gone in hoping to convince her to hand over the money by appealing to her reputation, instead he'd agreed to confront possibly the most violent criminal boss currently at large. He reached the door that lead back to the main bar and took a deep breath. Maze wasn't going to like this.


	9. Chapter 9

Maze was enjoying herself and she hadn't enough got out of her clothes yet. She hadn't needed word to get the two men into the supply closet, she'd just grabbed the front of their shirts and they'd follower her willingly. She didn't have time to do this properly, to be honest she probably didn't have time for this _at all _but impulse control had never been one of her strong points and it really had been a while, almost a full week! Lucifer may have at least partially forgiven her but he was being extremely demanding whilst he sulked. When it came to excess she knew exactly how much it took to keep him high or drunk or sated and organising all that was a full time job. When she'd seen the two across the bar, both tall and dark hair with arms she needed two hands to encircle, all her pent up frustration had bubbled to the surface. Dan offering to deal with the bookie had been just the excuse she needed to let off a little steam of her own.

They were both powerfully built, strong (for humans), and had been eager to have their way with her. The thrill at showing them who was really in charge had been almost too much to contain. She'd hardly believed her luck when she found a roll of duct tape on the shelf, here she was thinking she'd have to use her belt. They had resisted at first but she had shown them in no uncertain terms that it would feel good if they did as they were told. Now the first had his hands taped to the shelving above his head so he couldn't move and the second was pinned to the wall as she attacked his neck with her tongue. Despite all his muscle his knees still went weak when she bite him right _there_. He practically mewed as he surrendered to her dominance and she felt herself get even more excited. She heard movement behind her and she turned her head to glare at the other guy.

"I said keep still" she snapped and he looked at her with wide eyes as he shook his head in denial. His breath came quickly through his nose as he tried to get enough air over the duct tape that covered his mouth. The door behind him opened.

"MAZE! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING!" Dan shouted as he took in the scene and she rolled her eyes.

"What? I haven't broken them, yet" She said as she took her weight on the one she's been dealing with.

"Oh my god" Dan stepped forward quickly, clearly distraught over something or other that Maze couldn't place, and ripped the tape of the others guys mouth. The man took several deep breaths as he glanced between her and Dan before finally settling on Maze.

"Is...is it my turn now?" He asked, his voice uncertain yet eager. Whatever Dan had been about to say died in his throat as he looked between the two burly men and the lithe bounty hunter.

"You mean you guys actually want to..." Dan started before quickly turning red with embarrassment. Well she'd definitely have to remember that weakness for later.

"Dude, we're in the middle of something. Get lost!" The one against the wall finally seemed to get his mouth working. Maze quickly turned her head.

"I didn't say you could talk" She chastised and he immediately fell silent. Normally she would have enjoyed that but if Dan had taken the time to come find her he must have got what they needed already. She found herself disappointed he hadn't taken longer to get the money, this had been starting to get fun. She stepped away and turned to leave.

"So, can we have your number?" The one still taped to the shelves asked as she passed. The blade was out in an instant, the tip just grazing the underside of his throat and forcing him to stand on tip toes to avoid being cut.

"No, you haven't been a good boy" She purred

"Maze" Dan's tone held a note of warning that she again didn't understand. He'd been the one to suggest she get acquainted with them, after all. She huffed before spinning the blade on her finger and striking up with her arm. The tape sliced cleanly and released his hands. Throughout all of it the guy stayed absolutely stoke still whish impressed her slightly.

"Maybe next time" she conceded as she mentally put Dalton's Place on her future itinerary before stalking out the closet without a backwards glance.

"Maze, I'm sorry. Just when I saw them tied up I thought..." Dan started as they began to walk out through the bar. The amusing shade of red was back on his face.

"Forget it. At least we have the money now" She said as they reached the exit and stepped out into the parking lot. The light was already starting to fade. They needed to get the money to the runt so he could bail out Matthews, then she could collect her delivery and get it to Wayland. He still had a lot of work to do if he was to complete her order in time for her window of opportunity tomorrow afternoon.

"Yer, about that" Dan said and she felt her hackles start to rise again.

"What?" She demanded

"Annie doesn't have the money" he admitted and Maze immediately scoffed at his incompetence. She turned sharply and strode back towards the bar. Dan moved around to stand in her way with his hands raised.

"Whoa, Maze. She doesn't have any money. Hitting her isn't going to change that."

"How do you know if you didn't try" she countered

"I know, alright. I'm a cop, you need to trust me on this. She's not lying but we did make a deal"

"You? You're making deals now? That doesn't sound very 'by the book'" It was a cheap shot but an affective one as she saw him twitch. It probably hurt him more than if she'd actually hit him, good. The mood she was in it was still in the air if she would punch him or not if he kept wasting their time like this. He wanted so badly to follow all those police rules and stupidly thought it made him a bad guy when he didn't even if it got the job done faster. Dan straightened under her scrutiny but didn't rise to the bait.

"There's a man who owes her money, Simon Fischer. If we get that back for her then she'll cancel Josh's bet." Dan informed her and she rolled her eyes.

"So we need to go chat to _another_ sap. Fine, but this time I do the talking." She stalked back in the direction of Dan's car. They both got in and closed the doors but once again Dan didn't start the engine right away. Instead he gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white.

"What?" She asked again, slightly less forcefully, and Dan seemed to realise what he was doing. He forced out a breath and Maze saw the tension in his body abate slightly.

"Fischer is a manic, one of the most violent men in the city." He admitted and her interest immediately peeked.

"Oh, really?" She purred and turned in her seat to face him "and what makes him so special?"

"People smuggling, protection rackets, almost anything with a chance of causing pain and he's involved" Dan

"Sounds like a perfect evening" Maze could barely contain her smile. Looks like this evening wasn't going to be a complete waste after all. The excitement she'd felt in the storage closet flared back into life even stronger at the prospect of a decent fight. It had been a while since she'd had one of those too.

"I'm not kidding Maze, this guy is seriously hard core. Even the Russians steer clear of him." Was he purposefully trying to turn her on? If he was it was working. She could feel her heart pounding at the potential thrill of battle and every instinct was beginning to sing with anticipation. If this turned out how she hoped maybe she wouldn't punch Dan for interrupting her in the storage closet.

"Drive" She said and smiled as Dan took one look at her before starting the engine to follow her command.


End file.
